The University offers an interdisciplinary specialization in Reservoir Characterization to students registered in an existing course-based master’s program in the Departments of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering or Geoscience. The program integrates reservoir engineering, geology, geophysics, and reservoir characterization. The student will receive the degree offered by the home program:

Master of Engineering in Chemical and Petroleum Engineering (MEng)Master of Science in Geology or Geophysics (MSc)

All students will normally be considered to have full-time status. In exceptional circumstances part-time status may be considered and must be approved by the Graduate Director.

2. Admission Requirements

In addition to Faculty of Graduate Studies requirements, all applicants must meet the minimum standards of the home program.

Acceptance into the Master of Engineering program would normally require the completion of the equivalent of the Bachelor of Science in Oil and Gas Engineering degree offered by the University of Calgary. However, individuals with more diverse background and industry experience may be considered for admission.

Acceptance into the Master of Science program requires the completion of a Bachelor of Science in Geoscience plus a course in Well Logging and Formation Evaluation, Petroleum Engineering 507 at the University of Calgary, or equivalent.

Applicants with an undergraduate degree in geology must demonstrate acceptable proficiency in mathematics. It is an asset for geologists to have taken additional mathematics courses as technical electives during their undergraduate degree.

3. Application Deadline

See departmental listings for the deadlines for the submission of completed applications.

4. Advanced Credit

The applicant must make advanced credit requests as part of the admission process. Credit will not be given for course work taken as part of another completed degree/diploma or for courses taken to bring the grade point average to a required level for admission.

5. Program/Course Requirements

To address the broad background of students entering the Reservoir Characterization Interdisciplinary Specialization, there are three streams for completion: Geology, Geophysics and Engineering.

All students must take at least six courses at the 600 and/or 700 level.

* Choose only one (1) of Petroleum Engineering 513 or Geology 613.** To be taken in the final semester of study.

The RCFD course is a team-based experience with each team required to analyse and integrate various data (e.g., seismic, logs, and production) from a real field. Each member of the team is expected to have proficiency on the software packages for geophysical interpretation, geological mapping, geostatistical modelling and reservoir flow modelling. The reservoir characterization will require the development and assessment of a geostatistical model of the field that will be used for a history match and to propose future development. The project will conclude with a formal presentation to experts from both academia and industry.

6. Additional Requirements

None.

7. Credit for Undergraduate Courses

The applicant must make advanced credit requests as part of the admission process. Credit will not be given for course work taken as part of another completed degree or diploma program, or for courses taken to bring the grade point average to the required level for admission.

8. Time Limit

Expected completion time is two years and maximum completion time is six years.

9. Supervisory Assignments

Supervisors will be approved by the specialization Graduate Program Director.

10. Required Examinations

After the conclusion of the Capstone Project, there will be a comprehensive oral examination of each student before an examining committee that includes a faculty member from each of the three disciplines. Each student will be expected to express in-depth knowledge in their area of expertise (engineering, geology, geophysics), and to have a comprehensive knowledge of the significance of the other two areas in successful reservoir characterization.